Westboro boy gets a hand from Cops for Kids with Cancer

Tuesday

Oct 15, 2013 at 6:54 PMOct 16, 2013 at 1:27 AM

By Donna Boynton, TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF

WESTBORO — Ndubuissi Iweka was dismissed from Hastings Elementary School early today to receive an award.

The kindergarten student, who goes by "ND," arrived at the Westboro police station holding the hand of his mother, Helen Parker. He was a little taken aback by what greeted him as he walked into the lobby: a gaggle of reporters and photographers, a television camera, Police Chief Alan Gordon and a kindly older gentleman who handed him at teddy bear and a bagful of goodies.

The gifts weren't for ND alone; Ms. Parker got a surprise when she was handed a $5,000 check from the same gentleman, who was representing an organization called Cops for Kids With Cancer.

"Oh, Lord," she said, taking a step back. "Because I had to stay at home, this will help a lot."

ND, 6, was diagnosed last October with a type of cancer called acute lymphoblastic leukemia, or ALL. According to the National Cancer Institute, ALL is a cancer of the blood and bone marrow and is the most common type of cancer in children.

When he was supposed be in kindergarten, he was undergoing chemotherapy, and his start of school was delayed until this year.

Ms. Parker, a single mother with two other children, ages 13 and 10, said her family has had much help from doctors, and the award also will help them as she gets back on her feet. Meanwhile, ND still goes to Tufts Medical Center for monthly treatments. But to look at the shy little boy with big brown eyes, you wouldn't know he was sick.

Cops for Kids With Cancer is a nonprofit organization founded by a retired Boston police captain, the late John Dow. Today it is overseen by Capt. Dow's friend, Robert P. Faherty, a retired Boston police superintendent-in-chief.

Capt. Dow was a lung cancer survivor who was treated at Massachusetts General Hospital. While traveling on one of many trips to Ireland, he met a member of the Garda Siochana, Ireland's national police force, and the two began talking about the devastating effects of cancer.

"John had said he knew how devastating it was for him as a grown man to have cancer, and he couldn't think of what it would be like to have a child with cancer," Mr. Faherty recalled. From that conversation developed a series of international golf tournaments between Boston police and the Garda Siochana. Donations were made to the children's cancer ward at Mercy Hospital in Ireland or to the New England Medical Center or the MGH pediatric cancer ward.

Capt. Dow died in 2007, but Cops for Kids With Cancer grew to help any police officer whose child had cancer, and with any money left over, the organization would help families referred to them by local police departments or hospitals. This year alone, 40 families have been assisted by Cops for Kids with Cancer; Ms. Parker and her son were one of nine families the organization will help this month.

Since 2008, the organization has awarded $1.2 million to families in Massachusetts.

"When you have a child with cancer, usually mom or dad has to quit work or cut back. Some families have even lost their homes," Mr. Faherty said.

Ms. Parker was referred to the organization by Tufts Medical Center.

Cops for Kids with Cancer is a entirely volunteer organization of active and retired police officers and other friends of law enforcement.

Police Chief Alan Gordon said this was the first award the Westboro Police Department has helped coordinate with Cops for Kids with Cancer.

Contact Donna Boynton at dboynton@telegram.com. Follow her on Twitter @DonnaBoyntonTG.